1. Field of the Description
The present description relates to connector assemblies for servers, data storage devices such as disk and tape drives, and other computing devices and, in particular, to a connector assembly designed to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs while providing proper alignment (or positioning) and retention of a set of connectors for a computing devices such as a server or service processor (SP) tray in a rack or other mounting structure for computing devices (e.g., data storage devices, servers, trays containing processors, and the like).
2. Relevant Background
In the data storage and computer industry, there are many implementations where it is desirable to mount devices, e.g., servers, drives, storage devices, and other computing devices, in close proximity. For example, many data rooms will include one-to-many racks, chasses, and other enclosures that are used to vertically stack numerous computing devices, which are arranged in horizontal slots or spaces. Within each slot or space, a computing device such as a service processor (SP) tray, a drive, a server, or the like may be inserted or slid into the rack or enclosure. Within each slot or space, a set of connectors typically are provided that allow the computing device to be inserted and to have its connection devices (e.g., male or female communication or power connectors) received and engaged for proper mating to deliver power to the computing device and to allow the computing device to digitally communicate within a system or network.
An ongoing challenge for enclosure and computing system designers is how best to provide the set of connectors within the racks or enclosures to facilitate ready insertion and removal of the computing devices from the slots or spaces. One example of a support structure or rack used in the computing industry is a truss, which may in turn be provided in an enclosure or a chassis, that is used to receive and support a number of SP trays (or the like). To facilitate power and communication connections, cable connector assemblies can be mounted onto the truss, and each of these cable connector assemblies in turn includes a connector alignment and retention assemblies to provide the desired connectors (e.g., customized connectors for the SP tray or other computing device to be received in the truss slot/space) in a known position and to retain these connectors in these positions while the computing device is inserted into the truss.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a connector alignment and retention assembly 100 that is presently used in the computing industry within a cable connector assembly (not shown in FIG. 1), and FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the assembly 100. The assembly 100 is made up of a number of machined parts that have to be fit together and assembled in a predefined order. As shown, the assembly 100 includes a base or bottom plate 120 that supports a set of connectors in the form of three connectors 110 of a first type/configuration (e.g., a 4 by 16 connector) and one connector 114 of a second type/configuration (e.g., a 4 by 20 connector). FIG. 3 illustrates a front elevation view of the connectors 110, 114 as they may appear within the assembly 100 with gaps 119 between adjacent connectors 110, 114 with a predefined size or width, WGap. FIGS. 4A and 4B show left and right side perspective views of the connectors 110 showing tabs or raised elements 111, 113 used to retain the connectors 110, 114 within the assembly 100.
The assembly 100 further includes a cover or top plate 130, with the connectors 110 and 114 being sandwiched between the base 120 and the cover 130. The base 120 and cover 130 each have grooves 121 (seen in FIG. 2) and 132 for receiving a pusher/holder assemblies 140 that each couple at one end with one of the connectors 110, 114 to preload the connectors 110, 114 to apply a spring force that acts to bottom out or fully couple each connector 110, 114 with a corresponding connector of a mated or received computing device (e.g., an SP tray or module or other computing device adapted for use with connectors 110, 114).
The assembly 100 is adapted to align or position the connectors 110, 114 and also to retain their positions during connection with a computing device such as an SP tray or the like. To this end, the assembly 100 further includes a left side wall assembly 150, three middle walls 154, and a right wall assembly 158. Each of these is sandwiched between the base 120 and the cover 130, and each includes slots or openings 151, 155, 159 for receiving tabs or raised surface elements 111, 113, and 115 (with elements 113 and 115 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4B) provided on the sides of the connectors 110, 114, i.e., with two tabs provided on the left sides of the connectors 110, 114 and one tab on the right sides of the connectors 110, 114. The mating of these two features limits the amount of in and out (or forward and back) movement of the connectors 110, 114 during engagement with a computing device. The wall assemblies 150, 158 and the walls 154 provide a desired spacing between the connectors 110, 114 by maintaining the gaps 119, which may be relatively small in width, WGap, such as 0.4 to 0.6 mm or the like, as seen in FIG. 3, and the wall assemblies 150, 158 and walls 154. also prevent side-to-side movement of the connectors 110, 114 (e.g., retain the connectors in an aligned arrangement) in the assembly 100.
In some particular implementations, the spacing provided by the wall assemblies is 0.5 millimeters (mm), which only allows connectors 110, 114 to move side-to-side by 0.5 mm in the assembly 100. Similarly, forward and back allowable movement is controlled by the spacing between the tabs of the connectors and the slot edge of the wall assemblies. Top and down allowed movement is controlled by the gap between the connector and the cover and base. In some cases, it may make sense to define WGap as the gap between the middle wall and the connector surface as it can useful in supporting proper functioning, rather than the gap between two connectors as this is often simply a clearance space maintained to be bigger than 2 times WGap combined from each side.
Presently, the majority of the components of the assembly 100 are machined, rigid parts including the left wall assembly 150, the middle walls 154, and the side wall assembly 158 as well as the base 120 and the cover 130. The use of machined parts has increased the cost of fabricating the assembly 100, and the assembly 100 also is relatively expensive to assemble as the parts typically have to be put together onsite in a particular order. Stated differently, an existing problem in the computing industry is how to fit a number (e.g., four) of customized connectors into a tight space while restraining their movement well. The industry has, as shown in FIGS. 1-4B, attempted to address this problem by using a large number of separately machined parts that then have to be assembled together in a costly manner.
In this regard, a typical process for assembling the parts of the assembly 100 is shown in FIGS. 5A-5G. In a first step shown in FIG. 5A, the left wall assembly 150 is affixed to the left edge of the base 120. In a second step shown in FIG. 5B, the first connector 110 is placed on the base 120 and against the left wall assembly 150, and, then, a first one of the middle walls 154 is attached to the base 120 so as to hold the connector 110 in place. In a third step shown in FIG. 5C, a next or second connector 110 is placed on the base 120 so as to abut the previously placed middle wall 154. Then, in the step shown in FIG. 5D, an additional middle wall 154 is attached to the base 120 so as to retain the second one of the connectors 110, and, then, a third or next connector 110 is placed on the base 120 so as to abut the previously attached middle wall 154.
In the step shown in FIG. 5E, the last of the middle walls 154 is attached to the base 120 to retain the third connector 110 in place, and, then, the fourth or last connector 114 is placed on the base 120 in contact with the middle wall 154. To fully retain the connector 114 from side-to-side movement the right wall assembly 158 is attached to the base 120 so as to abut the connector 114. Next, in the step of FIG. 5F, the cover 130 is placed over the connectors 110, 114 and affixed (e.g., screwed) to the wall assemblies 150, 158 and middle walls 154. Finally, in the step of FIG. 5G, the pusher/holder assemblies 140 are mounted to the cover 130 so as to engage and preload the connectors 110, 114 within the assembly 100. As will be appreciated, the assembly process has to be followed in this exact order to have the rigid, machined parts fit together properly. This manual assembly process can be relatively time consuming and exacting such that the combination of use of machined parts and relatively difficult fabrication process results in increased costs for the producing the assembly 100.
Hence, there remains a need for improved designs for a connector alignment and retention assembly for use with racks and enclosures used to support computing devices. Preferably, the new designs would reduce manufacturing and/or material costs of the components used within the assembly. Additionally, it is desirable for the new design to support a less complex and/or less time consuming method of assembling the components of the assembly. The new design described herein integrates the assembly of the pusher/holder assemblies into the base or cover assembly, which now can be done right at a sheet metal manufacturer site. This is significantly less expensive and less time consuming than having a sheet metal manufacturer providing metal parts including pushers/holders to cable/connector vendors who put the assembly together.